Interlaken

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Interlaken (disambiguation).

Interlaken

Canton	Berne
District	Interlaken
Coordinates	46°41′N, 7°51′E
Population	5700 (December 2006)
Area	4.4 km²
Elevation	568 m
Postal code	3800
SFOS number	0588
Website	www.interlaken-gemeinde.ch
Surrounded by	Bönigen, Matten bei Interlaken, Unterseen, Ringgenberg
Twin towns	Scottsdale (USA), Otsu (Japan), Trebon (Czech Republic)
Interlaken

Interlaken is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

It is a well known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland. The Aare River flows through the town.

A view of Interlaken from above

A view from the Hoheweg, Interlaken, showing the Jungfrau

Interlaken is located between Lake Brienz to the east and Lake Thun to the west. The town takes its name from its geographical position between the lakes (in Latin inter lacus), but the name was only coined in 1891, replacing the old name Aarmühle.

Interlaken is located at 570 metres above sea level. The original importance of the town was as the site of a convent of the Augustinian Canons; the convent was built in 1130 and lasted until 1528. In the past textiles and to a smaller extent watchmaking were also of importance, but today tourism is the most significant source of income. Interlaken is one of the oldest tourist resorts in Switzerland, and it remains one of the most popular.

Interlaken is frequently visited by adventure-seeking backpackers throughout the year. The town is home to numerous backpacker-friendly hostels and companies that provide guided services in Skydiving, Canyoning, Hanggliding, Paragliding, and Skiing, to name a few.

The town offers tourists a peaceful base from which to explore the surrounding areas by train or bus. However, the main attraction is probably the magnificent Jungfrau mountain (4158m). Many hotels are located along the Höheweg avenue which offer good views of the mountains. Mystery Park, a paranormal-based theme park owned by Erich van Daninken, was closed in 2006 after three years because of financial difficulties.

Despite its small size (population 5,200), the town features two railway stations ("Interlaken Ost" and "Interlaken West") and two funicular railways, the Harderbahn and the Heimwehfluhbahn. Train connections in Interlaken serve the Jungfrau region via the Berner Oberland Bahn, with narrow-gauge lines also extending over the Brunig Pass to Luzern. The main line connects Interlaken with the cities of Spiez, Thun and Bern. There are also regular bus links to the neighbouring town of Thun.